Meta appoints Sandhya Devanathan as VP, Head of India

Facebook parent Meta has appointed Sandhya Devanathan, its Vice President in Asia-Pacific for Gaming, as the Head of India, following former India head Ajit Mohan’s departure to rival Snap, the company announced on Thursday. Devanathan will move to India from Singapore, where Meta’s APAC operations are headquartered, and formally transition into the role on January 1, 2023.

Devanathan will report to Dan Neary, Vice President, Meta APAC. “As part of her role, Devanathan will spearhead the company’s India charter and strengthen the strategic relationships with the country’s leading brands, creators, advertisers, and partners to drive Meta’s revenue growth in key channels in India,” Meta said in its announcement.

“Sandhya has a proven track record of scaling businesses, building exceptional and inclusive teams, driving product innovation and building strong partnerships,” Marne Levine, Chief Business Officer, Meta said.

On top of Mohan’s departure, Meta India’s policy chief Rajiv Agrawal and WhatsApp India head Abhijit Bose both left the company, the company said this week.

The hire also represents a significant reorganization of the company, Venkat Ananth, who is one of the content operation leads at The Signal, pointed out. Mohan reported directly to Menlo Park, where Meta is headquartered, but since Devanathan is reporting to Meta APAC VP Neary, India is now back in the APAC fold.

“India is at the forefront of digital adoption and Meta has launched many of our top products, such as Reels and Business Messaging, in India first,” Levine said in his statement on Devanathan’s appointment. “Sandhya has a proven track record of scaling businesses, building exceptional and inclusive teams, driving product innovation and building strong partnerships.”